2014 CMS Winter Meeting sets record for student attendees

Hamilton meeting attracts a new generation of mathematics professionals

AARMS-CMS Student Poster Session

OTTAWA —
The 2014 Canadian Mathematical Society’s Winter Meeting drew a record number of Canadian and international student attendees. Students made up approximately 25 per cent of the 500 mathematicians that participated in lectures, scientific sessions and professional development from Dec. 5 to 8 in Hamilton. Historically, CMS Meetings have a 15 per cent rate of student participation.

“It is exciting to see such an increase in student involvement,” says Irena Papst, Co-chair of Studc, the CMS student committee. “Our committee hopes to harness this momentum and encourage students to join the society, so that they can benefit from the vibrant community that it fosters.”

“Student participation is crucial for the future of mathematics in Canada,” says CMS President and McMaster University professor Lia Bronsard. “CMS meetings offer students the opportunity to meet mathematics professionals, network and showcase their work.”

The CMS Winter Meeting in Hamilton drew students from universities around the world including the University of California Berkeley, US, Hokkaido University, Japan and Stockholm University, Sweden. The number of student volunteers also increased with more than 15 undergraduate students from McMaster University contributing their time throughout the meeting.

The meeting included the first ever Graduate Student Research Presentations. Graduate students from McMaster University and Carleton University presented their work in eight research sessions.

Studc hosted two workshops, organized a student social night and the AARMS-CMS Student Poster Session. The AARMS-CMS Student Poster Session gave students an opportunity to showcase their work. Twenty-four posters were presented and Alessio Sammartano (Purdue University), Yuehua (Tony) Liu, (University of Toronto) and Arman Sadreddin (Concordia University) won prizes for their respective posters.

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About the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)

The CMS is the national mathematics organization that promotes the advancement, discovery, learning and application of mathematics. The Society's activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including: scientific meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics education at all levels. The CMS annually sponsors mathematics awards and prizes that recognize outstanding achievements.

About Studc

The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) Student Committee (Studc) was created in 1999 to help CMS serve the needs of university students. Formally, the Chair of Studc sits on the Board of Directors of CMS and advises the Society on university student matters. Informally, but more visibly, Studc hosts a variety of events at the semi-annual CMS meeting: a poster session, a panel discussions and a student social have become the regular fare and we are adding different themed workshops to the mix. While the events at the CMS meetings are generally aimed at graduate students, Studc also oversees the operation of the Canadian Undergraduate Mathematics Conference which brings together over 100 math undergrads annually to a different Canadian university. We also produce and distribute a semi-annual publication Notes from the Margin with content that ranges from research articles to games and puzzles all submitted by Canadian mathematics students - look for it in your Department.